The Original Blend of 1848. Bright Virginia Leaf and rich Black Cavendish are the basis of this mixture which is mild but satisfying. The addition of a balanced proportion of Dubec Turkish and Louisiana Perique enhance the blend to a position of elegance and quality. No Latakia.

A nice fruity smoke, slightly sweet and very mild. I have not smoked it for a long time, but I don?t recall any Perique in it. It is a good tobacco for a change of pace (i.e., when tired of straight Virginias and not in the mood for Orientals). Visually, it is a very attractive mixture, the jet black Cavendish contrasting with the bright yellow (golden?) Virginias. It packs easily, but it is hard to keep lit, probably due to the moisture in the black Cavendish.

Flavour wise, it tastes of prunes and dried raisins, but not in an artificial way. It produces a nice nose or atmosphere, without being notable. I find a good option to break in a new pipe, and a good introduction for those seeking to take up a pipe.

I recently cracked open a 15-year old tin of McConnell Black & Gold (do they even make this one anymore?) and was surprised by the way the leaf had fermented. I received a delicious and sweet taste that was a bit more than the natural components, but not overwhelming. I couldn't really capture the taste of perique in this blend - no surprise as perique tendfs to fade with more than 10-years of age. I guess calling this one a flavored Oriental/Latakia mixture wouldn't be too far off the mark.

If Black & Gold is indeed still on the market, I sure can recommend this one to those who like more than a cased Burley.

I find B&G to be a nice tobacco. It has a good combination of various leaves, taste and aromas. Nice ribbon cut of medium brown tobaccos with some black leaf, B&G has an appealing raisin and fig tin note. It mostly tastes of the tin note, with some spiciness originating from the OR and the Per. It smokes easily and dry, develops some complexity and intensity along the way and ends up in a nice bunch of gray ashes.

What worries me a bit is this tobacco is not listed on Kohlhase & Kopp's list of McConnell's offerings. I might have to stock up on this one if they have ceased to manufacture it.

When I first lit Black & Gold, I almost emptied the bowl after a few puffs. I detected foreshadowing of a soapy smoke. I went on with it, and I am happy to say, the soap receded. Subsequent bowls behaved the same.

Under the casing, there were hints of Va flavor from time to time. I also noted a tendency toward harshness as well. Toward the end, the flavors all seem to mix into a muddy medley where the only thing that can be identified is a hint of Cavendish. As to the Perique?. What Perique???

I am not an aromatic smoker. Being a Dane, that could make me quite an outsider. But I am fed up with those eternal synthetic "candy-baccies" which dominate Denmark.

Here is an English aromatic that I simply love. This colorful blend does not taste artificial, it is like as if McConnell's thought; "Hey! Let's make an aromatic like they would have made it a 100 years ago"

A natural, rustic blend; top quality leaf and with a topping so weird (GOOD) that I can't describe it, nor compare it with any other blends. One of my favourites.

First of all, I’m quite sure it has been reformulated, I guess that’s why of the mixed reviews here. The producer's website (K&K) doesn’t list Orientals, indeed I detect any Oriental in it and even the presentation makes me doubt: no black and gold but tan, dark brown and black! Anyway, I’m not too impressed by B&G, it’s very light in body and flavors, I’ve smoked it fresh and dried out and it always tasted empty; it’s a sort of middle of the road blend: not a true Vaper (a vapid Virginia and little to none Perique) nor an Aro (there’s just a faint trace of vanilla and room note is not so good), in my opinion it’s just an average Virginia/Cavendish. Best thing is that it smokes cool and refreshing at least, very summery. Definitely, I can't say it is bad, just unsexy.

I picked this up at Ed's Pipe Shop in Santa Monica. Over the years, their range of pipe tobaccos has thinned somewhat, but I always make it a habit to pick up two tins while there, which I visit about three times a year.

Black and Gold caught my eye, sitting on the shelf, covered with dust. It must have been there five years, at least, which is instant gratification for those impatient fellows like myself, seeking aged blends.

I honestly had no idea what I was purchasing, but figured the age would make up for it, and I was at least right in that respect. Black and Gold smokes like the familiar VaPer, with the added ingredient of Cavendish, apparently included to sweeten things up a bit. This is not a sweet, cloying blend, however, and I must disagree with the lot of reviews here who have panned Black and Gold as a mild, flavorless smoke.

There is a heavy Perique presence, and the blend is more than mild, I would even suggest it's rather strong, at least medium in body. I first fired this up to complaint, which is rare. A resident non pipe smoker walked in my smoking den and blew the air ahead with a disapproving hand, asking what I was smoking. I was told it smelled horrible, and I have never had anyone protest a VaPer before. In my mind, it was a compliment, suggesting the robustness of my smoke.

I like this blend, and I like it even more souped up with a third of Smyrna, adding a bit of spice to the Virginia and Perique. In the tin you can make out dark strands of flake Virginia, rubbed out, their formerly Golden hue now absorbed by the darker leaf of the Perique and Cavendish, well represented though indistinguishable from one another. The tobacco glitters in the light from a good deal of time spent on the shelf, the discarded tin, its paper insert stained by bleeding of time.

Puffing in cadence brings about a rich, subdued sweetness in flavor with clear, tangy notes, complimented by the ever present plum of the Perique, which hits quite evident. I can't make out the Cavendish...which has that sort of chameleon quality that lurks about in the background, and even without the added Smyrna I detect a bit of spice, from what element of the components, I can't say. You should know, however, that the Cavendish plays no part in watering down the character of Black and Gold. I've put the blend on a fast track to early completion, having no VaPers currently on hand.

This was a solid purchase, if a bit pricey, though I've grown accustomed to paying the inflated B&M charges and associated tax. I complain, sure, but appreciate the luxury of seeing my wares on the shelf, of exchanging pleasantries and experiences with a real tobacconist and not the sort that hangs around on forum news groups, although I love their company as well. Support your local shop!

A great semi-aromatic in my opinion. Fruity (Plums) with a tiny hint of vanilla. Good solid earthy tobacco taste throughout. I wish there were more aromatics in this genre out there, an uncomplicated blend, nicely understated. Non nonsense stuff, if you like VAs with a pinch of perq. and a little aroma added, this should do it for you.

IMHO tobaccos branded McC and produced by K&K have a common thing ... the understatement. I have found that in Oriental, Scottish Blend, Glen Piper and Maduro, the exception being - at the moment - Scottish Cake only (but I have just the Scottish Flake ready to start).

B&G is far long to be a substantial smoke, but it's polite and pleasant. Notes of raisins and figs in the tin aroma, and a very attractive topping kinda liqueurish/flowerish. The smoke is faintly sweet and also liqueurish, mild and non biting if smoked properly. A bit much flat and boring as all-day on weekly basis, as I'm doing...

As I have noticed with Scottish Blend, the current production has been flattening down in comparison with the small round tins production of the early 2K. I still have one those tins of B&G (I found three of them three years ago) and all the features were more pronounced, and bit stronger. I really liked it, cannot say the same now.

Again maybe it's a problem of aging, but I'm wondering why so many tobacco should be bought today for being smoke the next two years. The producer should bear the costs of immobilization of capitals, or not ?

This is a good blend for the new smoker. Very light in taste and nicotine but also promising for the pipe smoking experience that is to come (from other blends though...) Also, I really cannot recall any perique...

I just recently purchased a 20+ year old tin of this blend on Ebay for $10...so I thought it would be no big loss if I did not like the blend. Well, I know many of the previous reviews of this blend were not favorable, so I am wondering if the aging process helped the tobacco. When I broke the seal and opened the tin, I was greeting with a wonderful plumlike aroma, and inspecting the tobacco, I noticed it was COVERED in sugar crystals, which for me, usually means I am in for a treat, and this was NO exception. I packed a Country Gentlemen corncob and lit up. This is a wonderful blend, a mild flavor,cool burning, and required NO relights, burning from top to bottom with one light. My partner, who is NO fan of Perique, complimented me on the roomnote, telling me what ever the tobacco was cased with, it covered up the Perique quite nicely. All I can say is, I will be searching Ebay and the internet looking for more of this blend. Highly Recommended!

I smoked four tins of Black & Gold, mostly because I got it very cheap, and must say it was almost worth the price. If there is Perique in there it is very well-hidden and the Virginia(s) make only cameo appearances at best. At least I think that might have been Virginia. Hard to imagine anyone smoking this on a regular basis - especially in the temperate areas of the hemisphere where there is so much alfalfa, ragweed, and goldenrod available for the asking. RM's Black & Gold is just a zero stars blend as far as I'm concerned.

Another blend from my Robert McConnell sampler pack. This smells like any other sticky aromatic in the pouch. There is almost no flavor, certainly not tobacco flavor. The only sensations I could pick up were 1) heat and 2) sourness/bitterness. Not the characteristics I look for in an aromatic. I couldn't even finish my 10g sample. Blah!

I have been looking for an aromatic to put in my rotation and this is not it. To me it is like sucking hot caramel through a straw. I was never able to finish a bowl. The initial flavor was good but after the first few puffs it went from bad to worse. To top it off my wife couldn't stand the room aroma. I will continue to look for a quality aromatic elsewhere.